Refrigerating apparatus



Jan. 27, 1931. H. HULL 79623@ REFRIGERATING APPARATUS med Junerzp, 192@ .2 snemsnem 1 y47 gg 46 `4o a U [Il l m b [l l ,l 45 27j im 34 m l l 24 22 23a 2 f 44 48 x l'xn nl .l

Jan. 27, l93l. H. a. HULL 1,790,235 REFRIGERATINQAPPARATUS Filed June 30', 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fee mll 4 Patented Jan. 27, 1931v lUNITED sTATEsP PATENT oFElcE HARRY B. HULL, OF DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR T FRIGIDAIRE CORPORATION, 0F

DAYTON, OHIO, A COBPORATION 0F DELAWARE mmenm'rme AzeI'ATeevrus- Applicaties mea :une sama. serial` No. 289,550.

This invention relates to refrigerating apparatus and more `particularly to a water cooler provided with aiwater cooling compartment, a freezing compartment and a food or bottle storage compartment.-

` An object of this invention is to provide a water cooler, which may be of the self-contained type, which water cooler is provided with an ice cubefreezing compartment and with a compartment suitable for receiving bot-tles of beverage or small amounts of food.

Another object of this invention is to provide a water cooler of the type hereinbefore mentioned in which the food or bottle cooling compartment may be maintained at a sufficiently low temperature.

Another object of this invention is to pro- 4:vide a water cooler having a water cooling compartment, a food or beverage cooling ccmpartment and an ice cube forming compartment which is'refrigerated by an expansion coil in such a manner that the coldest portion of the coil is available for freezing the Vice cubes, and a warmer portion is available for cooling the water. A n

Another object of this invention is to provide a water .cooler having `water andbeverage cooling compartments andan ice cube freezing compartment, and in which the evaporator is so disposed that lproper tem peratures are maintained in the various compartments. 4 v

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, wherein a pre-` ferred form ofthe present invention is clearly shown. .l

In thedrawiugs: Fig. 1 i's a view partly in elevation and partly in section of the side'of' a water cooler embodying features of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a view similar lto Fig. 1 taken at right-angles toFig. 1. a v p Fig. 3 1s a cross sectional view, with artial dixgrammatic showings, 'of a modifie form, an i Fig. 4 is a coss sectional view taken at right angles to Fig. 3.

A water cooler embodying features of my invention may comprise, in general, a water cooling compartment generally designated as `20, a food or bottle cooling compartment,

generally designated as 21, and an ice cube freezing compartment generally designatedl These compartments are adapted to be refrigerated by suitable refrigerant circulating means. In this particular embodiment, the

refrigerating means may comprise an expansion coil generally designated as 23. -An expansion valve 24 may be placed in the rear coil may be wound around the water cooling compartment 20 and may. be provided with an outlet pipe 25.

A refrigerant liquefying unit may be placed in any convenient location. For instance it may be placed in the lower half of the cabinet. It may be of the well-known compressor-condenser-receiver type and may deliver the liquid refrigerant through the pipe .27 to the expansion valve 24. From thence the refrigerant passes through the portion23a of the coil 23 which surrounds the ice cube forniing compartment 22. From thence it passes through the section 23h which surrounds the water cooling compartment 2O and returns through the pipe 25 to the refrigerant liquefy' ing unit.

If the water cooler is to be of the demijohn type, it may be provided with a suitable opening 28 and the proper gasket 29 for receiving the demijohn 30. A suitable faucet 31 may be connected to the water cooling compartment. A suitable drain tank 32 may beattached to the cabinet underneath the faucet 31 and may be provided with a suitable drainplu 33. p f

T e freezing compartment may be provided with an ice tray of the usual type having ice cube forming sections,vnot shown, andv pro- Y l vided with a handle 34 for removing the ice tray from the ice tray'compartment 22.

It is thus seen that the refrigerant imme diately after being expanded inthe-expansion valve 24 is immediately conducted to the freezing compartmenty 22 so thatlthe coldest portion of the coil is in contact -with-the freezving compartment. `Thus the coldest portion of the 'coil is usedtfo provide'thenecessary refrigeration for freezing the ice cubes. This same portion of the coil is also used to cool the airin the food or beverage storage com` partment 21 and thus a suilicient amount of refrigeration is provided in this compartment. After furnishing the necessaryrefrigi eration for the compartments 21 and 22 the coil delivers its remaining refrigeration to the Water cooling compartment 20 which does not require such a cold temperature as'the other compartments, in order to deliver drinking water at its mostpalatable temperature.

The cabinet may be of any improved design, For instance it may comprise asuitable metal frame-work 440 on which suitable side pane-ls 41 are attached. A wooden framework 42 may be placed at the' top of the metal framework 40, and the water, cooling compartment 20 may-be provided with flanges 43 adapted to rest on the wooden .frame-work 42. A

and 47 I 'na have telescoping sections to receive the emijohn and may be readily re- Vmovable in order to enable the compartment be attached to the linings of compartments 20 and 21 with bituminous cement'or the like. The insulation around the portion 23?) may be suitably' recessed either vertically or spirally to receive the coils of the section.23b.' The linings of the compartments 20and 21 may be welded together where theyjoin. Thus in the preferred form, the compartments 20 and 21 are in vertical alignment and are of substantlally the same vertical extent,l providing a long, narrow', upright and stream linecabnet.

vIf desired, this cabinet'mav be made for connection to the water plumbing system of the building. If so desired, the character of the covers 46 and 47 may be changed by omittngthe opening for the demijohn and asuitable float valve controlled mechanism may be provided for controlling the' admission of water from the vplumbing systeml into .the compartment 2O. Thus as shown in Figs..3 and 4, a water cooler may be provided with compartments 20a, 21al and 22a substantially similar to those shown'inv Figs. 1 and 2, but

` so' modified for attachment to a water plumbing i system. Thus the cover46a may be provided with a closure adapted to rest at the place systemmay include a pressure pipe 61 leading to a valve 62 controlled lby means ofthe float 63. Thus the-float 63 maintains a substantially constant level of liquid-in thecompa-rtment 20a. An overflow pipe 164 maybe l7o connected to a conduit surrounding the .pipe 61. Thus failure .of the ioat control willcause the water toA flow out through vthe pipe 64and conduit 65 to asuitable connection with a drain. Under normal conditions i5 the conduit 65 contains nothing butV air and thus ythe airacts as an insulator for thepi 61 and prevents accidental freezing of t e Y pipel 61 ifthewaterrin the compartment 20a should become frozen. "y A refrigerant liquefying unit may b eplaced in the lower compartment 66. This'unit may be of any suitable type. Thus as shown diagrammatically in Fi 3, the `unitmay include a compressor 67 de frigerant to the condenser 26,8 .which delivers the condensed refrigerant tofthe receiver 69'.. From thence the liquid refrigerant is delivered throughthe pipe 27a to the expansion valve 24a which corresponds to the .valve 24 of 90 Figs. 1 and52The-coil around the compartjment 2 2aand the compartment 20a may be' [substantially as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and from'thence the expanded refrigerant may A :return through the pipe 25a to the compressor 95 67. Suitable driving meansl for the compressor may includean electric motor'70. 20 to be readily cleaned. Suitable insulation i '4S-may be provided, and ifv desired this may A suitable automatic control, responsive to conditions in the refrigerating system,

may be provided. Thus, such a control'may 10o pressure-frigo]ated.type,` preferably responsive to the pressure ,in the coil 23. The opf eration of` the refrigerant. liquefying unit may also be automatic., If desired av suitable thermostat,- not'- shownvbutjsimilar to lthat shownl in Figs; Sjapdifymay'be placed in 1 15 any one of the compartments20, 21,.o.r 2 2, preferably in close-"thermal relation to the coil 23, and this thermostat may control the operation of the refrigerant liquefying unit.

Ifthe refrigerant li' 1uefying unit is of the .120 electric motor driven type, the' thermostat may operate asnap switch whichmay c ontrol the starting an-'d stoppingof the .ele'c-V I. tric motor .similarly to the modification shown in Figs. 3 and 4,

While the formf'offe" bodiment ofthe in -vention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form,.it vis to be understoodthat other forms might be adopted,a1l coming within the vscope of the claims which follow..

iv'eringcompressed re- 85 CII lVhat is claimed is as follows:

1. A Water cooler having a water cooling compartment, a freezing compartment, a food storage compartment, an expansioncoil in thermal contact with the freezing compartment at a zone near its expansion point and in t-hermal contact with the water cooling compartment at a zone farther removed from said expansion point.

2. A water cooler having a water coolingl compartment, a freezing compartment, a food storage compartment, an expansion coil in thermal contact with the freezing `compartment at a zonenear its expansion point and in thermal contact with the water cooling compartment at a zonefarther removed from said expansion point, said coil also being in thermal contact with said food storage compartment.

3. A water cooler comprising a Water compartment adapted to receive a demijohn, av food storage compartment below said water compartment, an expansion coil having an expansion valve, 'a freezing tray compartment in said food storage compartment, `said expansion coil surrounding said tray compartment and having a portion farther removed from said expansion valve surround-` ing said water compartment. l

4. A water cooler comprising a water compartment, a food storage compartment below said water compartment,- an expansion coil A having an expansion valve, a freezing trayv ment at a zone near its expansion point and compartment in said food storage compartment, said expansion coil surrounding said tray compartment and having a portion farther removed from said expansion valve surrounding said water compartment.

5. A water cooler comprising a water compartment, a .food storage Ycompartment in alignment with said water compartment, an expansion coil having an expansion valve, a lfreezing tray compartment in said food storage compartment, said expansion coil surrounding said tray compartment and having a portion farther'removed from said expansion valve surrounding said water compartment.

6. A water cooler having a water cooling compartment, a faucet connected to said compartment, a freezing compartment, a food storage compartment, an expansion'coil in thermal contact with the freezing compartment at a zone near its expansion point and in thermal'contact with the water coolingl compartment at a zone farther removed from "said expansion point.

- 7. A water cooler having a water cooling compartment, a faucet connected to said compartment, a freezing compartment, a food storage compartment, an expansion coil in thermal contact with the freezing compartin thermal contact with the water cooling iu said food storage compartment, said ex' pansion coil surroundin said tray compartment and having a portion farther removed from saidlexpansion valve surrounding said water compartment.

'9. A water cooler comprising a water compart-ment, a faucet connected to said compartment, a food storage compartment below said water compartment, an expansion coil having an expansion valve, a freezing tray compartment in said .food storage compartment, said expansion coil surrounding said tray compartment and having a portion far-l ther removed from said expansion valve surrounding said water compartment.

10. A water cooler comprising a wate compartment, a faucet connected to said compartment, a food vstorage compartment in alignment with said water compartment, an expansion coil having an expansion valve, a freezing tray compartment in said food Stor-- age compartment, said expansion coil surrounding said tray compartment and having a portion farther removed from said expansion valve surrounding said water compartment. t

11. Awater coolercomprising a long, narrow, and stream line cabinet, said cabinet in cluding an insulated water cooling compartlment, an insulated food storage compartnature. v

HARRY B. HULL.

compartment at a zone farther removed from i. 

